Celebrations

Today is a day for celebrating motherhood,
 so happy Mother's Day!

 In the Christian liturgical calendar this day
is called Mothering Sunday.
It falls within the Lenten period -

a time of reflection before Easter.

 The word 'lent' comes from

the Anglo-Saxon for the lengthening

of daylight hours around about the month of March
after the dark days of Winter.

In some churches there's a custom of handing

 out bunches of Spring flowers at

the Mothering Sunday service.

It originates from the days when

girls who lived-in as domestic servants

were given the time off to return home

and usually take a small gift of flowers and maybe
the traditional Simnel Cake

It's good that the church service is inclusive

and bunches of flowers are given out by

the children to all the ladies. 

Mother's Day can also be a poignant one

as we remember our mothers

who are no longer with us.

Later today I'm going out with our

younger daughter, grandchildren

and husband for tea and cake so
I'm sure there will be more photos
to share another time!

Yesterday, I went to the International

Women's Day Conference in the city, which

this year highlighted women's health issues